Kotzen drives for a magnificent four

Danie Toerien

Sports lovers across the country were probably channel-hopping today between the race meeting at Fairview and Day 1 of the first Ashes-test between England and Australia at Edgbaston.

Trainer Sharon Kotzen, however, was fully focused on the eight-race meeting in Gqeberha, scoring a tremendous four to bring up her half-century of winners for the season.

England openers Zak Crawley and Ben Duckett had barely settled in at the crease when Kotzen scored her first run, taking the card opener, a maiden juvenile plate over 1 300m, with Manchester Fighter ridden by Denis Schwarz.

This Lancaster Bomber-gelding had his first outing for Kotzen after a couple of disappointing runs in Cape Town. His last run before yesterday was on the Fairview polytrack, where he made marked improvement with blinkers fitted and yesterday, with the headgear retained, he finally got off the mark after a full over without getting bat to ball.

Yes, yesterday’s victory was similar to an outside nick running down to third man, as he just managed to sneak in by a head, but now that he is on the board, it won’t surprise to see him score a few more runs with confidence on his side.

While the cricketers were enjoying lunch in Birmingham, Kotzen was again in the winner’s enclosure after the running of race 4, a MR66 handicap over 1 900m.

My Boy Reecey, who had seemed quite out of sorts going in to bat, hit the boundary first to bring up his fourth career win under the expert hands of Louie Mxothwa.

Considering his recent form, it’s no surprise that he paid a very decent R10,70 for the win.

Halfway through the afternoon session, Kotzen and Mxothwa doubled their tally as batting partners with Moon Game.
The five-year-old won the race by a short-head, but a win is a win, and every run counts.

Kotzen ensured that she scored half the runs on the day during tea when Mxothwa rode Indy View to an unlikely victory, paying R14,60 for the win.